Tray carriage



June 5, 1934. P. A. ROTHE 1,961,394

TRAY CARRIAGE Filed July 2, 1931 2 Sheets-Sheet l June 5, 1934. p A.R01-HE 1,961,394

TRAY CARRIAGE Filed July 2, 1931 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented June 5, 19341 my CARRIAGE nui A. mais, c iiimo. 11i., mimi to Furniture Stylists,Inc., Chicago, Ill., a corporation -of Illinois Application July a,1931, serial No. 548,311 11 claims. (ci. al1-13o) My invention relatesto tray carriages or dcvices commonly knownastea carts. My inventioncontemplates the provision of a collapsible tray carriage which may bestored in a. small space when not in use. y

My invention further contemplates providing a collapsible tea wagonwhich will provide a large amount of space for the conveyance vofdishes, food, etc. and from which the trays can 1 readily removed.

A further object of 'my invention is-to provide a collapsible tea wagonwhich can be opened and closed with a minimum amount oi' effortl andwhich willserve as a convenient and sturdy serving table.

Other objects and advantages of my. invention will appear more fullyfrom the following description and from the accompanying drawings, inwhich similar Icharacters of reference o indicate similar partsthroughout the several views.

Figure 1 is a perspective view of my tea carriage;

Figure 2 is a front elevation thereof;

f Figure a is a side elevation. the dotted lines in tea carriage inaiolded position; shgvguige Iluirs a sectional view taken on the line ofFi ure 2; 4 Figure 5g is a top elevation with the tray removed but itsposition indicated in dotted lines;

Figure 6 is a sectional view taken on the line 6--6 of Figure 4.

Briefly, in the practical application of my invention, I provide aplurality of trays removably secured in tray holders. Thetrays aremounted on a framework inl any suitable manner which will allow thecollapsing of the entire assembly in a small place.

In the drawings 11, 12 and 13 are tray holders or tray supports mountedso that their` center lines are parallel to each other and equidistantfrom each other, that is, the distance between the tray holder 11 andthe. tray holder 12 1s the same as the distance between the tray holder12 and the tray holder 13. The tray ho1ders are made up in anyacceptable form which will provide a support for trays. As shown in thedrawings, they are made up of side members 14 and cross members 16. Thecross members are mortised to the side members as at 17 .although anyother convenient means of securing these two members together may beused. These cross members not only serve to make the construetion of thetray supports strong and rigid but 55 also serve to support trays 18which are slidably -tion of thergroove may be cut off as at 20 as tomake thegroove considerably shorter than the tray to allow easierremoval of the tray. In order to make the tray supports together withthe trays adaptable to be fitted one within the other the tray supportsand the trays are made progressively larger, that is, the top trayholder 13 is adapted to iit within the tray holder 12 and the trayholder 12 is adapted to t within the tray holder 11.

In order to position the tray holders in their proper relation to eachother I provide a plurality of stays 21, 22, 23 and 24 to which the trayholders are pivoted in any suitable manner which will allow relativerotation between the tray holders and the stays. The stays 21 and 22 are`parallel to each other and similarly the stays 23 and 24 are alsoparallel to each other. The stays on opposite sides of the tray supportsas at 22 and 23 are bent toward each other or inset at each tray levelso that the transverse distance between stays is just suilicient toaccommodate the width of the tray support and the stays 21 and 24 aresimilarly bent for this same purpose. At each point of attachment of atray support to each stay there is provided a suitable pivot which maybe accomplished in several diierent ways, one of which is shown in Fig.6. In the manner used to provide this pivot I have employed an ordinarywood screw 27 which is provided with a shoulder 28 of approximately thewidth oi' the side support members 14. 'I'he side members 14 are boredwith holes slightly larger than the diameter of the shoulder 28. Thescrews 27 are provided with the usual tapered gripping threads forfastening the side members 14 of the tray supports to the stays 21, 22,23, and 24. Itwill thus be evident that I have provided a pivot at allpoints of attachment of the tray supports to the stays and itwillfurther be apparent that the tray supports by means of these pivotscan be rotated into collapsed position such that the tray support 13will t into the tray support 12 and the tray support 12 will fit intothe tray support 11, as shown by the dotted lines in Fig. 3. Iny orderfor the trays lto be collapsed into a minimum of space the tray supportsare parallel to and equidistant from each other. It will further beevident that at any point in the movement of the tray supports as theyare pivoted into a collapsed position they will remain parallel to eachother and equidistant from each other and that a similar relationshipwill be collapsed to an open position. In order to provide a stop ormeans of positioning the trays in an open position, I provide stop arms29vattached in any suitable manner as by screws 30 to the stays 21 and24. These stop arms are provided with grooves 31 which are adapted toengage pegs 32 positioned on the side members 14 of the lowermost trayholder 11. Wheels or casters 33 are fastened in any approved manner, tothe bottom of the lowermost tray holder 11 and a handle 34 may beattached to the uppermost tray holder 13 by arms 35 as at 36.

It will thus be evident that I have provided a portable tray carriage ortea cart from which the trays may be removed Very conveniently and which'can be collapsed into a minimum space. In providing a collapsible traycarriage of this type it is desirable that opening and closing thedevice be accomplished with aminimum of eiort and it will be apparentupon observation that my teacarriage can be opened from a collapsedposition with one movement by grasping the handle 34 and pulling upwarduntil the grooves 31 of the stop arms 29 come in contact with the pegsits collapsed position in one movement. When the tray carriage is openedthe stays are rotated through slightly over 90 so that when in this openposition the stays are at an angle to the horizontal and are supportedin this position by the stop arms 29 so that an upward movement on thehandle 31 is necessary to collapse the tea carriage and that ahorizontal force on the handle 34 will allow the tea carriage to bemoved from position to position without collapsing.

It will further be noted that the lowermost tray extends considerablybeyond the center tray and that the center tray extends beyond theuppermost tray, thus the articles resting on the trays are readilyaccessible and further it will be noted that the trays may be partiallyslid out of the grooves formed in the tray holders without removing themfrom the tray holders, thus making the trays still more accessible.

While I have described one embodiment of my invention it is obvious thatchanges can be effected therein and I do not wish to be restricted tothe embodiment illustrated and described but refer to the appendedclaims as deiining my invention.

What I claim is:

1. A tray carriage comprising a plurality of superposed frames ofsuccessively lesser width whereby they may be nested, each frame havingmeans slidingly to receive a tray, and supports pivotally connected withthe frames for supporting the frames through parallelogrammaticalcollapse of the frames and supports to a Aclosed nested position of theframes. y

2. In a tray carrying device, a plurality of stays inclined to thehorizontal, a plurality of parallel equi-spaced tray holders supportedby said stays, said tray holders being pivoted to y 1,961,894 lmaintained when the trays are pivoted from a whereby said tray holdersmay be collapsed one within the other in one collapsing operation.

4. A tray carriage comprising a plurality of stays, a'plurality ofvertically equi-spaced parallel frames having ways for slidablyreceiving and supporting trays, the frames being pivotally attached toand supported by the stays, said stays when in an upright position beinginclined to one side of the perpendicular and collapsing,parallelogrammatically with the frames, past the perpendicular throughan arc greater than 90 to bring the trays into intimately superposedoverlapping relation.

5. A tray carriage comprising a plurality of superposed frames ofsuccessively lesser width whereby they may be nested, each frame havingmeans slidingly to receive a tray, and supports pivotally connected withthe frames for support- Ving the frames through parallelogrammatical,

collapse of the frames and supports to a closed nested position of theframes, said supports comprising a pair of stays on each side of theframes, the stays, as regards their pivotal connection to the frames,being disposed at a slight incline past the perpendicular when thecarriage is in its open position, said stays, in such collapsing tonested position of the frames, passing as a continuous movement throughthe perpendicular through an arc not less than substantially 6. In atray carriage, a plurality of tray holders collapsible one within theother, a plurality of stays pivotally supporting said tray holders, saidstays being movable from a substantially horizontal position to aposition past the vertical, said movement bringing the tray holders intoa parallel spaced relationship.

7. In a tray carriage, parallel equispaced tray holders, means formaintaining a parallel equispaced relationship between ysaid trayholders at any point in a collapsing operation comprising a plurality ofinwardly bent stays to which said tray holders are pivoted; and meanswhereby a tray may be slidably positioned in each o1' said tray holders.

8. In a tray carriage, parallel equispaced tray holders, means formaintaining a parallelequispaced relationship between said tray holdersat any point in an unfolding operation said unfolding operation beingaccomplished in a single unfolding movement; means for holding said trayholders in an open position and means loo ' whereby said tray holdersmay be collapsed one within the other in one collapsing operation.

9. In a tray carriage, a plurality of tray holders having upstandingside members, means for slidably positioning ltrays in each 'of saidtray holders, the lowermost of saidtrays extending beyond the centertray, and the center tray extending beyond the uppermost ,of said trayswhereby said trays are readily accessible and means whereby said trayholders with said trays positioned therein may be collapsed one withinthe other in a compact assembly.

10. In a tray carriage, a plurality of tray holders, a plurality o1'stays to which said tray hold- 140 ers are pivoted in substantiallyparallel spaced relationship, each of said stays beingbent inwardly ateach tray level and each of said tray holders being of successivelysmaller dimensions whereby said tray holders may be positioned onewithin the other, means for supporting said tray holders in an open,spaced relationship, said tray holders being movable from said open,spaced relationship to a closed, collapsed position one within the otherin a single collapsing operation.

' 11. In a tray carriage, a lower tray holder, an

upper tray holder ot such dimensions as to t within said lower trayholder, said tray holders having upstanding grooved side members, a traypositionable in each of said grooved side members, the lowermost of saidtrays projecting be-

